World of Warcraft hits 10 million users

Mark Raby, 23rd January 2008

Irvine (CA) - Over 10 million active subscribers are now part of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft.

Blizzard announced this week that it passed the huge milestone, with Asia taking the majority of subscribers. Around 5.5 million users are from Asia, with 2.5 million in North America and another two million in Europe.

World of Warcraft first hit the scene on November 23, 2004. Since then, it has been made available in seven languages, and a Russian version is in the works.

The game is the most successful subscription-based online title ever. Worldwide, it costs from $13 to $24 per month, meaning Blizzard earns over $15 million just for keeping the servers up and running.

The second expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King, is slated for release later this year. "We're always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we're looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead," said Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime.